Special to The NewsRetired U.S. Navy Captain Miki Iwata leaves behind a legacy of genuine care for others, dedication to her country and a love of fun.

UPPER DEERFIELD TWP. — Retired U.S. Navy Nurse Corps Captain Miki Iwata, a 1959 graduate of Bridgeton High School (BHS) formerly of Seabrook, remembered being very happy while here but wanted to expand her horizons by seeing the world.

Before passing away on June 12 at the age of 70, Iwata fulfilled these dreams beyond imagination, touching countless lives along the way through her military service, community involvement and generous character.

“She was definitely one of a kind, and I was very fortunate that I was one of her close friends,” said Terri Masatani, who was a neighbor and classmate of Iwata’s in Seabrook.

“I always pray that my grandchildren will make friends with someone they could really love and trust and laugh and do things together like I did with Miki. I wouldn’t have been friends with her for over 50 years if she wasn’t a lot of fun.”

Iwata’s unique story begins in California, where her family lived before being evacuated to an internment camp in Poston, Ariz. during World War II.

“I had a good career. I’m one of the lucky ones. Having come from the camps, it was even more amazing,” Iwata said in a 1995 article on her retirement from the Navy. “It’s really incredible that I became a captain, starting from camp.”

After settling in Seabrook after the war, Iwata studied at BHS and then went on to attain her registered nurse diploma from the Presbyterian Hospital School of Nursing in Philadelphia, Pa.

Iwata enlisted in the U.S. Navy in 1966 as a lieutenant junior grade and served in the Vietnam War, calling it “the best and worst experience” she ever had. Her duties as a naval nurse aboard the USS Sanctuary included caring for young soldiers with massive wounds and injuries, as well as reading them letters from home that she said sometimes made her break down and cry.

“When you get that close to death, you can see how important life is and the important things in life,” pointed out Misono Miller, a sibling surviving Iwata with brother Masahiro Iwata; sisters Misao Walck and Michi Muchisky; 10 nephews and nieces and 16 grandnephews and grandnieces.

After Vietnam, Iwata went on to earn a Bachelor of Science degree in nursing from the University of Pennsylvania and a certification as a nurse practitioner from the University of California, San Diego School of Medicine.

“As a fellow nurse, I know that Miki represents the best of the nursing profession. Her knowledge, skill, compassion and leadership were remarkable,” said Karen Shulstad Seitz, who served with Iwata on the USS Sanctuary.

Iwata went on to serve in Virginia; Maryland; Massachusetts; South Carolina; Tennessee; Florida; Guantanamo Bay, Cuba; the Persian Gulf; Bahrain; the United Arab Emirates; Italy; Greece; the Bahamas and Hawaii, seeing much of the world she’d hoped to circle since her days in Seabrook.

“I am a better person for having experienced living in different parts of the country, in different countries with different cultures, and have learned to appreciate what we really have here in the U.S.,” Iwata wrote in a profile on the “Discover Nikkei” website.

Her sister noted Iwata’s gratitude for her country was matched only by her giving spirit and genuine care for others.

“She was always very fashionable, but she didn’t go for diamonds and gold because she used her money very much ‘humanitarian-ly’ — she made a lot of donations and helped a lot of people,” Miller said. “But when she was in Bahrain, she got us all gold: all the sisters, and mother got a nice gold chain, too. She’d always think about others before thinking about herself. She was quite a sister.”

Through the course of her dedicated travels as a naval nurse, Iwata advanced to become the first Japanese American female to attain the rank of captain in the U.S. Navy Nurse Corps. Fittingly, her writing demonstrates proud patriotism beyond ethnic barriers.

“I hope we all stand up for what is right, not on the basis of race or color, but on the basis that our great country stands for liberty and justice for all!” Iwata said in a speech on American heritage.

“I challenge each of you to continue to fight for what is right and remember the theme of this gathering: commitment, contribution and community.”

Iwata ended her 29-year military career in Orlando, where she shifted her focus to visiting the sick, mentoring children, helping the homeless and serving as a national officer in the Navy Nurse Corp Association. She also enjoyed tai chi classes and friendships at the Orlando YMCA and was a devoted member of the Conway United Methodist Church, church choir and Sunday School.

“She loved her God, loved her country, loved her friends and her family — her life was full and happy,” Miller said.

Iwata’s travels continued after retirement, to include regular trips to visit family and her many friends, as well as vacations to China, Cape Cod, Virginia and other destinations with her longtime pal, Mastani.

“We had lots of adventures. Sometimes we would get lost, and we’d find a store that was really unusual and would say, ‘Hey, we hit pay dirt!’ so getting lost was not a loss at all; it was a lot of fun,” Masatani recalled.

“I think she was forever very young — she felt young and acted young — but she was very responsible. She was just a perfect friend. But I’m also religious, and I know she’s waiting for me there, having fun with her mother and father, meeting all her ancestors, and that we’ll have our adventures there.”

A memorial service for Miki Iwata will be held on Monday, July 18, at 2 p.m. at Deerfield Presbyterian Church with family visitation preceding at 1 p.m. Burial will take place at Arlington National Cemetery on October 11 at 3 p.m.